Aishiteru
by OnyxKatana
Summary: A collection of oneshots for the 31 Kisses Challenge. IchiHime. The numerous kinds of kisses between our favourite orange-heads. Ratings vary from K to T.
1. First

**This is a collection of one-shots for a challenge I got roped into doing. 31 Kisses, and my pairing is IchiHime. Just don't kill me.**

 **OnyxKatana**

 **Challenge: First Kiss**

* * *

 _It was about time_ , is what any of their friends would say, if asked about Ichigo and Orihime's relationship. For two people who spent a good amount of their lives around each other, they took an awfully long time to see what was long since obvious to the others. Surprisingly enough, neither of the orange-heads were willing to believe it. They redefined "oblivious".

In the end, after seeing both her best friends hopelessly flounder around each other, Tatsuki was the one to end the nonsense. Half out of pity, and half out of frustration, she had finally forced both idiots to confess their feelings. It had taken a little bit of help from Rukia, but it worked. Rukia had frozen both of them to the ground, and refused to let them out until they spilled to each other about their mutual crushes on each other. As Tatsuki put it, everyone was _sick_ and _tired_ of watching both of them make 'doe-eyes' at each other, and wanted them to 'just get on with it!'

Sadly, this relief was short-lived. Sure, the two were finally together, but there wasn't a single person who had seen them do anything more than occasionally hold hands. And even then, their burning faces could put their hair to shame. And now that more than a month had passed since they got together, their extreme shyness or 'delicate handling of the situation' was starting to get on everyone's nerves. The girls wondered how Orihime could resist Ichigo's charms. The boys just wanted to know _why_ Ichigo hadn't thoroughly ravaged the Goddess of Karakura High. And their friends were at a loss for what to do about the lovebirds.

* * *

School had just let out for the week, and as was tradition, Kurosaki Ichigo was waiting at the gates for Inoue Orihime. Ichigo walked her home every single day that she didn't have to work. There had been a lot of 'discussion' over the matter, and unsurprisingly, Ichigo had emerged the victor. Nobody was surprised at Ichigo walking her home the first few times, because it was a common occurrence for either Ichigo or Tatsuki to walk the girl home. However, eyebrows rose when Ichigo started doing it almost every day. That was exactly how the school found out about the Goddess dating the Delinquent Punk. And didn't _that_ cause a massive uproar.

"Kurosaki-kun!"

The tall, orange-haired teenager pushed himself off the wall, his expression softening on hearing the joyful exclamation.

"Yo, Inoue. Ready?"

He received his reply when the auburn-haired girl skipped up to him and slipped her tiny hand in his much larger one. They set off towards her apartment, at a pace that was neither fast nor slow. Ichigo was quiet, while he glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye. He cracked a smile at her excited and energetic description of her day. She was telling him all about her day in great detail. So much, in that she was barely paying any attention to her surroundings. Occasionally, Ichigo would say something in reply to her, but his most frequently used phrase was "Look out." It was astonishing how Orihime was an accident waiting to happen at times.

Thankfully, they managed to reach Orihime's apartment with only three stumbles, two near-collisions, and five almost-punching-Ichigo-in-the-arm-with-flinging-gestures. Not a bad record, from Ichigo's point of view. Atleast there was nothing like almost getting run over by a car. And definitely no Hollows showed up, so that was another plus.

"... and that's how I saved Tatsuki-chan from the little blue men!"

Orihime was gesticulating wildly through the entire monologue, and Ichigo wasn't really surprised when she overbalanced, tripped over a step and would have landed on her bottom if not for a pair of arms hooking around her shoulders. He pulled her up from where she had all but landed on him. Giving her a quick once-over, he asked, "You alright, Inoue?"

She looked up at him with her huge, shining, gray eyes. "Hai, Kurosaki-kun! I'm built sturdy anyway!" She bonked herself on the head to prove her point.

Ichigo smirked at his girlfriend's antics. She could be very childish and a complete klutz sometimes, but he wouldn't have it any other way. In his opinion, she was the best thing to ever happen to him. Even if that sounded incredibly cheesy and completely out-of-character for Kurosaki Ichigo. He was in love with his unbelievably awesome girlfriend. So sue him.

* * *

Meanwhile, said girlfriend was having a mini panic attack as she fiddled with the lock on her door. Yet again, her clumsiness had cropped up. And this time, she had almost landed ON Kurosaki-kun!

'He must think I'm so clumsy and stupid. And maybe he will decide that he doesn't want to date me because I'm so stupid. Or maybe he already thinks that, but he hasn't dumped me because he feels guilty or something. Aaahhh! That must be it. Kurosaki-kun is too sweet to dump me, so maybe that's why he's forced to put up with me, when he really doesn't want to. Oh my goodness, I am such a bad person, to keep Kurosaki-kun trapped like this! I'm almost as bad as the little blue-'

She was jerked out of her overactive imagination by a deep voice.

"Uh, Inoue? You sure you're alright?"

"Huh?"

Orihime blinked in surprise, as she found herself being stared down at by a pair of chocolate eyes, that were narrowed in concern. The scowl softened, before being replaced by a small, teasing grin.

"You spaced out for a bit there."

Orihime shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you for walking me home, Kurosaki-kun!"

She turned to go inside when her mind pulled her back to the conversation she had with Tatsuki that morning. The raven-haired girl had had it with the two orange-haired idiots.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU HAVEN'T KISSED YET?"

"Ano, Tatsuki-chan, it's-"

"Don't _'Tatsuki-chan'_ me! You two are idiots! Give me one good reason as to why you two haven't even kissed when both of you know you like each other! Huh?"

"But-"

"Just make the first move, if that idiot is too dense to! Goodness knows he needs akick to get him moving!"

Orihime took a deep breath. Now or never.

* * *

Ichigo had turned to go down the steps, when he heard a soft, almost inaudible, "Um, Kurosaki-kun?"

He turned around to look at his girlfriend. He barely registered her moving close to him before he felt something warm and soft press upon his lips for a couple seconds, before lifting. There was an "Eep!" before a mass of flying auburn hair darted inside the apartment and locked the door.

For his part, Ichigo was still trying to comprehend what had happened as he made his way home on autopilot. It took almost a whole block before reality settled in.

'Inoue kissed me. INOUE KISSED ME!'

* * *

Karin looked at her twin, her flabbergasted expression saying it all.

"Yuzu, do you have any idea WHY Ichi-nii just walked in with his face almost splitting in two from that stupid smile?"

* * *

 **A.N. *hides behind a wall* How was that? Good? Bad? Cringe-worthy? Meh?**

 **Please, PLEASE review. I'm begging you. I really need to know how my work is, so that I can make an effort to not get pelted with tomatoes for the next one.**

 **IchiHime is one of my favourite pairings, and my Bleach OTP, but I have no experience in writing them. So, I can only hope you liked this one, and that my others are slightly better.**

 **And if you guys have any particular kind of kiss you want to see, feel free to PM me, or leave it in the reviews. I'll try to include those as bonus chapters, apart from the main challenge kisses.**

 **Until next time,**

 **OnyxKatana :)**


	2. Imagined

**Challenge: Imagined Kiss**

* * *

For what seemed like the millionth time, Ichigo sighed. Babysitting a bunch of Shinigami was _not_ how he liked spending his vacation.

'I've saved Soul Society's ass enough times, you think they'd at least let me survive vacation in peace! Instead, I'm here, escorting a bunch of Shinigami who are probably at the mental age of six. And Toshiro, who's at the mental age of six hundred.'

He jerked when Ikkaku thumped him on the back, appearing from seemingly nowhere. And then, the loud Shinigami yelled in his ear.

"Oi, Ichigo! What are you scowling for? Loosen up!"

He raised a single orange brow. "Spending my break in an amusement park is not how I planned to 'loosen up'."

"Come on! Everyone's enjoying themselves. Look, even Hitsugaya-taichou is having fun! And you're standing here, frowning."

Ichigo glanced over to where the white-haired prodigy was sitting in the shade, eating ice-cream. And his usual scowl and tick on the forehead were missing. With his biggest argument gone, Ichigo had no choice but to be pulled along with the rambunctious third-seat to where the rest of the bunch were. Matsumoto had disappeared to browse the gift shops, and Yumichika had accompanied her, in the hopes of finding something 'beautiful'. Ikkaku and Renji were having a competition at the arcade, and Rukia had chosen to stay home, with Karin and Yuzu.

"'Someone has to take care of them', she says. _Sure_. And the Chappy marathon that was airing has _absolutely nothing_ to do with this. Nothing at all." Ichigo muttered. "And I'm supposed to babysit these people."

"ICHIGOOOO!"

The routine was second-nature to Ichigo by now. He didn't even have to think as he calmly held up his fist, and Keigo slammed face-first into it.

"Hello, Ichigo. Asano-san."

Ichigo nodded. "Yo, Mizuiro. So, you guys are here too." Keigo was crying waterfalls in the background.

"Asano-san wanted to come. So, here we are."

"Ichigo! Get over here!" Renji hollered from somewhere nearby.

Taking his leave from Keigo and Mizuiro, Ichigo located Renji. It was easy, really. Follow the yelling. Either that, or the people whispering about yakuza. With Renji's tattoos and hairstyle, and Ikkaku's wooden sword, it was no surprise.

"Took you long enough. Say, what's that track for?"

Ichigo followed Renji's pointer finger to the rails constructed in one part of the park.

"Those are rails for the rollercoaster."

He was met with four pairs of confused eyes, and one pair of "mildly curious" eyes. He wondered when the other three had gotten there, because they sure weren't there when he reached.

"The what?"

Ichigo had the sudden urge to hit his head against something. He did not sign up for THIS when he decided to shove Rukia's zanpakuto through his heart.

"Damn it all! How do you guys not know the most common things? Soul Society is ancient, I'll agree, but this is just ridiculous. How the hell did no one in the Living world ever notice that there was something wrong with you in all these years?"

"Because, Ichigo, no one before you ever caused this much trouble in the Living world for undercover Shinigami to be stationed. There was no need to mix in to keep track of problems."

Ichigo repressed the urge to thrash Renji.

"It's a ride. You sit in a car of sorts, and it takes you through the track. Each roller coaster is built differently, with different attractions. You see that line over there? That's the queue for people waiting to ride the rollercoaster. Come on, before it gets even longer."

Thankfully, the line wasn't too long, when the six got there. It seemed like they would have to wait for only one ride. The sad part was that Keigo and Mizuiro seemed to have had the same idea. As they waited, Keigo started ranting about something, and Ichigo had tuned out after thirty seconds. He was casting bored glances at the other people. It was the usual kind of scene. Kids with their parents, couples on dates, and groups of students just looking for a break. All of them had happy smiles on their faces.

'And then, there's me. Babysitting.'

He looked at the line in front of them, and did a quick head-count. Eight people. Although, they did have a while before it was their turn. Ichigo's eyes stopped on two people in particular. It was a young man and woman, probably not much older than himself. From the way the woman leaned into the man's side, and how his arm curled around her shoulders, there was a major chance that they were a couple. The man leaned down to whisper something in her ear, and the woman giggled, prompting a smile from the man as well. The man leaned down a little more to plant a soft kiss on her lips, and then straightened. A pretty flush covered the woman's cheeks.

"Aw man. All this lovey-dovey stuff and all these couples are making me feel depressed. If only my dear, beautiful Inoue-san were here! Maybe I should bring her here for our first date when I ask her out!" Keigo exclaimed.

Ichigo went oddly rigid, and his mouth was dry. He had witnessed the exchange between the couple, and Keigo's remarks were sending rather 'weird' images through his brain. Instead of the dark haired couple in front of them, Ichigo saw himself, along with a certain beautiful auburn-haired weaving princess.

(Like there was a chance that she would go for Keigo. A part of his mind piped up that it was no certainty that she would go for _him_ either. Keigo was plain perverted. _He_ , on the other hand, had a perverted and bloodthirsty Inner Hollow. Brilliant choices, really.)

He wondered how it would be. To have her snuggling into him. Looking up at him with those wide gray pools. To have her laughing at his jokes. To have her squealing "Kurosaki-kuuunnn!", especially in that way when she was flustered, her cheeks prettily splashed with a dusting of red and her perfect pink lips - at this point, the sensible part of Ichigo's mind tried to tell him that he was stepping into dangerous territory, but it was ignored and pushed into a corner. Anyway, her perfect pink lips pushed into that adorable pout, just begging to be kissed.

And suddenly, Ichigo saw. He saw her backed against a wall, his palms flat on either side of her, caging her in with his arms, as she looked at him with those damned _beautiful_ gray eyes that made him melt _every freaking time_. He saw himself cradling the young girl in his arms, her soft frame molded to his own strong one. he saw her hands splayed across his chest, while his were placed on her waist and back, as he pulled her closer to himself. He saw as her petal-pink (soft, perfect, _kissable_ ) lips formed the syllables spelling out his name, escaping her in a breathy voice. He saw as he leaned down towards the girl and claimed those lips for himself. He saw as she rose to meet him, returning his passion with equal fervour. He saw as his hands grasped her possessively, crushing her against his own frame. He saw as her fingers tangled themselves in his tangerine spikes, while his played with the ends of her auburn locks.

And just as quickly, his reverie was shattered. The line moved up, someone jostled him, and Ichigo jerked back to reality. He blinked, to try and clear his head. And then taking a deep breath, he went to deal with the tickets, because five hopeless Shinigami couldn't be trusted not to create a disaster, even if it was something as normal as buying tickets for a rollercoaster.

* * *

 **A.N. This was done quicker than I expected. So, here you go. More IchiHime.**

 **I'm really grateful for all those who favourited/followed, and especially for the reviews. You guys are awesome.**

 **Anywaaaayyy, hope you like it. Reviews are appreciated. And if you guys have any ideas you want to see, PM me or leave it in the reviews. I'll add those as bonus chapters. Only condition is, it must be a kiss.**

 **Until next time!**

 **OnyxKatana :)**

 **And here's a bonus paragraph for ya.**

* * *

 **OMAKE**

"Kurosaki, you didn't have to stay here with me."

"It's alright. I didn't want to go there anyway. Besides, they can't cause any trouble on the ride." A pause. "Atleast that's what I think."

"Who knows..." A wishful glance. "Oi, Kurosaki?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do most of the decent rides have those ridiculous 'Must be this high' signs?"

A sigh. "Just be happy that guy didn't recommend the kiddie rides to you."

"What kiddie rides?"

"Actually, Toshiro, forget I said anything."

"Uh, alrigh- THAT'S HITSUGAYA-TAICHOU TO YOU!"


	3. Secret

**Challenge- Secret Kiss**

* * *

Inoue Orihime was sitting on her couch, with her boyfriend of one month, Kurosaki Ichigo in front of her. It had been a dream come true for her, that the object of her affections reciprocated them with the same intensity. It almost seemed too good to be true at times. Beneath that rough, standoffish exterior, Ichigo was an affectionate, caring boyfriend. His eyes would alway soften on seeing her, like melting chocolate. He was somewhat of a closet romantic, she was surprised to discover, on their first date. They were both new at this, and hopeless. But, they were learning, together.

It almost sounded like a fairytale. Almost. Because there was one teeny-tiny problem...

* * *

"K-Kurosaki-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Doing what? Dating?"

Orihime flushed a deep pink and flailed about. "No! I mean, yes! But, no! Wait, that's not-"

"Breathe, Orihime. Relax, and just tell me."

Ichigo had to fight to not grin at how completely cute the auburn-haired girl could be when she was flustered. Because Kurosaki Ichigo didn't grin. Not even if his rather new girlfriend was possibly too adorable for her own good sometimes.

'Damn, I can't believe it took me _this_ long to get the hint. I might just have redefined _oblivious_.'

Orihime took a deep breath and scrunched up her nose, in that typical way she did when she was thinking really hard on how to say something.

"Ano, Kurosaki-kun, it's not that I don't want to date you. I do want to date you. I really like dating you. But, don't you think we should, um..."

This time, Ichigo had to smirk at how adorable she looked with her index fingers poking each other, and those big, gray eyes looking at him in that nervous, but determined manner. From the way she was behaving, Ichigo got the hint. Despite popular opinion, he could be oddly perceptive at times.

"Tell the others?" He completed her sentence.

Orihime nodded furiously. "Hai. I mean, Tatsuki-chan, Kuchiki-san, Ishida-kun and Sado-kun would probably be very happy to know. They're our friends, aren't they? I think they would love to share in our happiness!"

Ichigo softly smiled at her. He was doing that a lot lately. (Who knew that Orihime's cheery manner was enough to break through even Kurosaki Ichigo's scowling phases?) He understood Orihime's wish and where she was coming from, but he was also rather well-versed in the ways of the band of idiots he called friends. Right now, all of them were blissfully ignorant of the fact that a month ago, while walking Orihime home from work, Ichigo had finally confessed to her about his feelings. The girl had been overjoyed and had almost tackled the poor boy in her glee. They were finally together.

They hadn't had the guts to go and blurt out their changed relationship the very next day, and after a few days, they weren't too uncomfortable with the way things were. Also, this meant that they had gotten over the slightly awkward bits like their first date and first kiss without any meddling, heckling, taunting or anything from their overly-enthusiastic friends. He knew they meant well, but they were just a little too ' _intense_ '. He wasn't opposed to telling the others, but he was enjoying the peace and quiet for now. He just wanted to wait for a little bit, so he could have his Hime to himself for just a little while longer.

(Although, Ichigo knew very well that he was _hopeless_ when it came to her. He couldn't deny her anything. And he was honestly terrified about the day when she would finally realize just _what_ kind of a hold she had on him.)

Then, a thought crossed his mind. Sure, he would cave anyway. But, who said he couldn't try _'convincing'_ her?

* * *

"Well, Hime. You're right about that. But, you're overlooking something major."

Orihime tilted her head to one side, her eyes wide with question marks. In one smooth movement, Ichigo got up from his seat on the armchair, and walked over to where she was sitting on the neighbouring couch. He knelt down in front of her, and with his height, he was level with her face, which had returned to that coral hue from earlier.

"K-Kurosaki-k-kun?"

One corner of his mouth tilted up, caught somewhere between a smirk and a grin. He took one of her hands in his, and began idly playing with it- stroking her fingers and palm, kissing her knuckles and the inside of her wrist- all the while keeping up his explanation.

"You see Orihime, the moment our dear friends _-kiss-_ come to know the only thing they're going to be _-kiss-_ doing is harassing us. We won't get a moment of peace - _kiss_ \- and we'll be stuck in the middle of their - _kiss_ \- interrogation. And I have much better things to do - _kiss_ \- than deal with their incessant screeching."

At this point, he paused to take her other hand. He noted that her face was even pinker. Perfect. He had no idea where he got the idea from, but the plan seemed to be working.

"So, once they find out, they'll be hounding - _kiss_ \- both of us. And then, the girls will whisk you away to - _kiss_ \- comb you for details, preferably juicy ones. The boys will - _kiss_ \- be asking me the same thing, and then _-kiss_ \- I think we can pretty much say goodbye to any and all - _kiss_ \- semblance of privacy. After which, the whole school will - _kiss_ \- find out, because Keigo can't keep his mouth shut."

Ichigo dropped both of her hands in her lap, but Orihime was too dazed to notice. He leaned a little closer to her, so that his breath ghosted over her cheeks. Phases one and two of his plan had worked decently enough. Now, to finish it off with the grand finale.

"In the midst of all that hassle, how do you think I'm going to be able to get you alone to do _this_?"

Ichigo shifted a little and pressed his lips to hers. It took a few seconds for everything to sink in, and for her to reciprocate. They were still somewhat inexperienced, and noses bumped, and teeth occasionally clicked, and Ichigo had to put a hand on the back of her neck to guide her, while her fingers tangled in his spikes.

It was short, but sweet, and they broke apart after a while, faces flushed and breaths catching. Somewhere in between, Ichigo had ended up half on the couch, leaning against Orihime. He pulled himself up so that he was lying on it, one leg hanging off. Orihime shuffled a little until she was sandwiched between Ichigo and the back of the couch. She was lying half on top on Ichigo.

"Um, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Ichigo. We've invaded Soul Society, gotten you captured in Hueco Mundo and then wrecked it rescuing you, I've almost died, you've saved my life, we've brought down Aizen, I've lost my powers, gotten them back, somehow worked up the courage to ask you out, we've been dating for a month, and kissed more times than I can count. I think all _that_ warrants first-name basis, hm?"

Orihime didn't know if it was possible to blush any further.

"H-Hai. Ichigo-kun. I, ah, think you might be right."

"Right about what, Hi-me?"Ichigo nuzzled his nose into her soft, strawberry-scented hair.

Well, what do you know. It WAS possible to blush even more. Did he _have_ to say her name in THAT way?

"That it might be a nice idea to keep this a secret for just a little while more. They'll yell at us anyway for not telling them. What's another few days?"

Ichigo nudged her with his nose, and hid his smile in her hair. "Glad you see things my way."

Orihime snuggled into him, and sighed contentedly. "Besides, I like having Ichigo-kun to myself for now."

* * *

A lightbulb went off in Ichigo's mind.

"Oi, Hime. I'll be the one to break the news, okay?"

"Alright. But why?"

"I'll tell you later. Just trust me on this one."

He internally grinned. Those people wouldn't know what hit 'em.

* * *

 **A.N. I honestly had no clue what to write for this one. It was rather ambiguous. Anyway, here's something decently fluffy. Ichigo can be devious when he wants to. He might seem a little forward, but they've been together for a month. They've gotten over the initial inhibitions of kissing, deal with it.**

 **So, enjoy. Read, review, favorite/follow.**

 **Criticism welcome.**

 **Signing off,**

 **OnyxKatana :)**

 **P.S. I'll continue this in a later prompt. Consider this part one.**


	4. Hello

**Challenge- Hello Kiss**

* * *

It had long since become tradition for me to enter the classroom with a scowl on my face, if I even showed up at all. And I had a perfectly valid reason for doing so. A different reason each morning, but a reason nonetheless. Either Keigo was being an annoying brat or Kon was being a pervert first thing in the morning. Otherwise, it may have been that I stayed up the entire night dealing with Hollows, because the Shinigami that had been appointed was definitely useless. There was also a major chance that it was my father who decided to wake me up with an uppercut to the jaw, or a kick to the gut. Lots of possibilities, really. So, my frowning expression wasn't really a major surprise.

There was one other tradition, which went back almost as long as this one. No matter what happened. It could be pouring outside. The sun could be scorching. There could be a blizzard. Multiple Garganta could be ripping themselves open in the sky. There could be an entire marching-band dressed in Chappy costumes and standing on their heads and playing the sitar. No matter what was going on, I would enter the classroom to be greeted with a blinding smile that could put an entire galaxy to shame, and a sweet voice, positively bursting with energy and happiness, that would shout-

"Ohayou, Kurosaki-kun!"

I swear, those two words made my mornings just a little bit happier.

* * *

The only time this tradition was ever interrupted was the time when she was taken to Hueco Mundo. Although, I won't count that, because she wasn't at school. And if I wasn't going to consider her sick-days, then I wasn't going to consider her Hueco Mundo days either. That was just an extended leave. Nothing else. So, as far as I was concerned, the tradition remained unbroken. And that's how it was going to stay, if I had anything to say on the matter.

Because I did not know how to function without that tiny sliver of happiness and energy and affection and ORIHIME. No one else could convey so much feeling in just two words. I might have been able to go without it a few months ago (who am I kidding?), but now that I was dating her? Yeah, whoever thought I was okay with that tradition being broken needed a double-check.

Although, I wouldn't mind a slight alteration. The only thing that could make it even better would be if I could get her to call me by my first name. That was a work in progress, though. Both of us still referred to each other by our last names in company. It was only when we were out of the occasionally-undesirable company of our insane friends and family, that we used each other's given names. We hadn't worked up the courage to reach that milestone yet. We had made decent progress though. With Tatsuki, we were Ichigo and Orihime, rather than Kurosaki-kun and Inoue.

* * *

I woke up because my father slammed open the door, and I ducked to avoid his flying kick. I got out of bed, sidestepped his punch and flipped him over and out of the door, which I kicked shut behind him. As usual. I got dressed and made my way down for breakfast. Yuzu gave me a bright smile, and Karin nodded at me, with a half-hearted wave in my general direction. The same thing that happened every morning. I slung my backpack over one shoulder and set off for school.

It was a normal day. Perfectly normal. Nothing out of the ordinary. No Menos Grande were wreaking havoc. No Mod Souls were being perverted idiots. No Shinigami had shown up in my room, or my cupboard or the roof or even in front of my classroom. No Arrancar were demanding fights with me. No Vizards were breathing down my neck. Nothing at all.

I met Mizuiro and Keigo outside the main gates of the school. More like I met Mizuiro, and punched Keigo. I walked to my classroom, and slid open the door. I gave the room a cursory glance when I didn't catch any hint of a "Ohayou, Kurosaki-kun!". My throat went dry for a moment when I couldn't see the fiery hair of a certain girl. I calmed down somewhat when I couldn't see Tatsuki anywhere either. They were probably running slightly late. Nothing very different from usual, right?

My worries were quelled a few minutes later, when the door slid open to reveal the violent raven girl. I caught a glimpse of long auburn waves fluttering behind her.

"Yo, Ichigo."

I raised my hand in response. "Tatsuki."

She stomped in, as was usual, and walked to her seat, which was two seats ahead of me. The other girl walked inside the room, and carefully slid the door shut behind her. There hadn't been so much as a cheep from her, which was sending major danger signals in my head. Orihime was never this quiet, unless something was bothering her. When she turned away from the door, I saw that her pretty face was slightly scrunched up, as if she was concentrating. She had pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, the way she sometimes did when she was building up her determination to do something.

She walked to her seat, which was right next to mine, and put down her things. By now, I was thoroughly worried. She walked up to me, and stopped right in front of me. I started to talk "Inoue-", but I was cut off midway. She gave me her trademark blinding smile, and I couldn't detect a hint of deception in it. It was a 100% genuine Inoue Orihime smile. Maybe even kicked up a level.

"Ohayou, Kurosaki-kun."

To my utter astonishment, she stood on her toes and softly kissed my cheek, before standing normally again. I'd like to say that I gave her a small smile and a 'Ohayou' in return, AS USUAL, but that was not what happened. Not by a long shot. What happened was that I stood there, gaping at her like a fish, my scowl having been long since shot to hell.

And while I was still trying to gather my wits and come to terms with the situation, she giggled, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Kurosaki-kun should close his mouth before the little blue men get in, ne?"

* * *

Somewhere in the middle of attendance, my brain kicked in once again. And I couldn't stop a small smirk from stretching on my face.

I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this change in our tradition.

* * *

 **A.N. Hey! It's been a slightly late update, but I've been busy with preparing for some exams. Anyway, here you have Prompt 4- Hello. I modified it slightly to be something like a Hello/Good Morning, but it should still fit. Enjoy!**

 **And a major thank you to all those who reviewed, favourited, or followed. I'm still open for any 'situations' you want to see, or bonus prompts.**

 **Read, review, and follow/favourite! Hope you like it!**

 **OnyxKatana :D**


	5. Goodbye

**Challenge- Goodbye Kiss**

* * *

It was a bright, sunny day. Karakura was bathed in the golden glow of the morning sun, and the air was fresh and cheery. People were out and about, going around their business, like every other day. Shops were open, and people had already made their way to their workplaces. It was late in the morning, after all. The pandemonium of the rush hour had settled down, and it was calmer.

It was a bright, sunny day. The glare of the sun was too harsh, and the wind was almost biting at times. People were rushing around their own business, like there was nothing wrong with the world, like it was any other day. Shops were open, and people were working, completely oblivious to the turmoil of the orange-haired teenagers. It was late in the morning, and that meant that there remained only a few hours before the day was over. The chaos of the rush hour had settled, and now, it was harder to not think of the problem.

* * *

A simple cafe. Nothing too flashy or catching or famous. A small thing in a lane. Compact. Secluded. Comfy. It was here, at a table towards the side, that two teenagers sat, their hands cupped around their mugs, steam wafting off the top, and curling into beautiful patterns, that were lost to the surrounding air within no time. They seemed to be siblings at a glance, with their identical flaming locks. A second look showed their nearness in age, and the difference in physical features. Also, the way they were seated showed affection, and a bond that was not one of siblings, but of two people very dear to the other. Most people would look at the couple, and walk away, perhaps with some idle passing though about young love or the like.

The young woman had her head bowed, her fiery bangs falling around her face, obscuring parts of it. But they failed to hide the flush on her otherwise oddly pale cheeks, or the glimmer in her eyes. What was usually a beautiful smoky gray had turned to orbs of dull stone. Facing her sat a young man- tall, lean, but with promise of great power beneath the toned limbs. However, the usually erect back was slumped, and the broad, strong shoulders were hunched. High cheekbones and a sharp jawline, were accentuated by chestnut eyes and tangerine hair, that spiked and fell over his forehead. The handsome profile was marred by a frown, and thin lips pressed into a line. Eyes that betrayed inner battles were trained on the mug clenched in his long fingers, the knuckles turning white.

They made a beautiful picture. They made a devastating picture.

* * *

He was gripping the mug so hard that he was almost worried it would crack. _This_ was not what he had expected, and whoever expected him to take this in a relaxed manner needed a session (or a hundred) with a psychiatrist. He breathed deeply, and the aroma of coffee, which usually calmed his jangled nerves, did nothing to lessen the typhoon within him. When he finally spoke, it was in a voice so low, so jarred, so unlike him, that his companion almost missed it, had the silence not been weighing so heavily on them, like an all-encompassing, suffocating cloud.

"Are you sure about this?"

She lifted her eyes from her lap, but was still not meeting his gaze, which was fine, because he hadn't been able to tear his eyes from his cup either. She took a deep breath, and nodded, mumbling a "Yes" so softly that it was almost lost to the wind that rippled past them.

"There is no other way?"

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun. I can't find any other alternative. There's only this one."

He took a deep breath, and his next words came out sounding almost rattled.

"Ichigo. Don't deprive me of that small comfort now, Orihime."

"Sorry. I guess old habits die hard, ne, Ichigo?"

Her lips curled into a watery smile. He gave a dry laugh.

"Sometimes, I wish I had either been more oblivious and never asked you out, or been less oblivious and asked you out a hell of a lot earlier."

At this, one of her hand uncurled itself from her mug, and settled on top of one of his, before softly squeezing it.

"Don't you ever say that again. I regret nothing of all the time we spent together, as friends or otherwise. I would change nothing of the memories I have with you. We stuck together through worse scenarios."

He lifted his eyes from the liquid swirling in his mug, and she met his gaze, only to feel her chest hurt at the broken expression she saw in those chocolate depths that she loved so much.

"Those 'worse scenarios' usually could be solved using a Getsuga Tensho or multiple. This time, Hime, I'm not the Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo, Hero of the Winter War. I'm just Ichigo. And I can't do anything. I'm goddamed powerless."

Her hand squeezed his once more.

"I don't need the Shinigami. I fell in love with the scowling teenager. The one who never gave up, no matter what."

He searched her face, and found nothing but earnest belief. His lips twisted into a sardonic smile.

"Look at me. We're here to discuss your problem, and I'm unloading my unneeded baggage on you. Anyway, getting back to the point, I think this might be the best feasible solution. After all, it's only for a year, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's a year-long course. My aunt thinks I should go for it, and I feel indebted to her, seeing as she supported me a lot when I was younger. And Tokyo should be a good place for a change."

"Tokyo is a great place, Hime. You'll get some wonderful opportunities. It's a good chance for you. Go for it."

Her eyes widened, the gray orbs shining. "Ichigo?"

His chocolate eyes softened, expressing his true happiness and encouragement more than words ever could.

"I'm serious. It took a bit of contemplation, but I'm done thinking. Go for it. You deserve to, Hime. I'd be a pretty rotten boyfriend if I held back my girlfriend from pursuing her life's dream, wouldn't I?"

"But-"

He held up his hand. "Let me finish. And don't even bother asking how I know that. A specialist baking and confectionary course? It would be a dream come true for you. Give me some credit about knowing my own girlfriend. I'm not going to be a pig-headed, first-rate jerk and deny you that."

His face split into a smirk, one that was characteristic of the orange-haired man. That confirmed it for the stunned girl. He really was serious. He wanted her to do this.

"Ichigo..." She trailed off, before her shimmering eyes dulled a bit. "But, what of us?"

He cocked an eyebrow, as he raised his almost cooled drink to his lips. "What about it?"

She gesticulated, almost knocking over his mug.

"I mean, how? Tokyo and Karakura aren't exactly at a ten minutes' walk. And I'll be away for almost a year. And-"

She found herself looking down her button nose at a long, thin, tan finger across her lips.

"Jeez, you talk a lot. I don't get the hype. I can always go over to meet you, and you can always come down during your holidays. It's a different city, not a different continent. Plus, you owned a cellphone, last I checked."

"I know that, but-"

She clamped her mouth shut as her boyfriend narrowed his eyes, with one eyebrow arching slightly, almost as if daring her to continue. At her reaction, he smirked.

"That's what I thought. Now, come on. Hurry up before your drink cools completely."

* * *

A week later, they stood in front of her apartment, which had been mostly emptied. He would tie up the few loose ends once she was gone. They had already shifted most of her things, and had just finished wrapping up the last few necessities. He swung her bags onto one shoulder, and walked with one arm around her, enjoying the feel of her pressed to his side for the last time before they met again. She looked back at her apartment once, while he loaded her bags into the taxi. She was overcome by a sudden wave of nostalgia, and a few tears pooled at the edges of her eyes.

"Oi oi oi, what are you crying for now?"

She looked back to see him with a mildly worried expression on his face, eyebrows pulled together in concern. She felt a sudden rush of affection for the young man who had stuck by her for the last few years, and they had been through some highly improbable scenarios. She tackled him, latching onto his strong torso. His arms automatically curled around her in a hug. She was content to bask in the feeling, before he put his hands on her shoulders, and held her so that he could see her face, tilting it up with one hand on her chin.

"Okay, Hime. What are the waterfalls for?"

She shook her head, a watery smile on her face. "Nothing. It's just-"

She was cut off by a soft pair of lips descending on her own, a warm, comforting pressure, that eased all her worries. When he finally pulled away, he cupped her face with his hands, and leaned down, so that his face was level with hers. Chestnut brown met with smoky gray, conveying love and affection and reassurances and a hundred other things that were in a language of their own. His lips stretched into a true smile, one that reached his eyes and lit up hers with the emotion it held. He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, before returning to his earlier position, gazing into those endless gray depths.

"This isn't goodbye, you silly girl. This is see you again."

* * *

 **A.N. Hey! I decided to experiment a little with this one, and I'm personally rather pleased with the way it came out. I expected it to be a bit more angsty, but this works better. I'll be delighted to hear your opinion on the matter, and I hope you liked it.**

 **Read, review, follow/favourite. Pwease?**

 **Also, I may not be able to update frequently for a while, so bear with me. Exams- a necessary evil.**

 **Thank you for all the support you've given me! I'll reply to your reviews ASAP, because I'm a little crunched right now.**

 **OnyxKatana :)**


	6. Jealous

**Challenge- Angry/Jealous Kiss**

* * *

Ichigo had had it. He had really, truly, utterly, absolutely and any-other-synonym-that-ended-in-ly had it. To a passerby, it may have seemed like nothing was out of the ordinary, because the orange-haired teen scowling was no uncommon thing. However, to anyone who knew the teen, or to one who bothered to take a closer look, it was plainly evident that he was angry, more so than usual.

His features were twisted into a deep scowl. His eyebrows were scrunched, and his forehead was furrowed. His jaw was set rigidly, and he may or may not have been gritting his teeth. It was hard to tell, because his jaw was clenched so tightly. His eyes were closed, but they opened, presently, to reveal a pair of brown eyes. What were usually chocolate orbs full of light, life and determination were now darker, almost a rich coffee shade, and they were hardened, burning with anger.

If one followed the young man's furious gaze, it would take them to the teenager standing at the counter of the same bakery where said young man was seated. He had been staring at her for the past half hour, and his rage had been growing steadily for as long. He broke his gaze for a moment to glance at the clock on the wall behind her.

'Just another twenty minutes. That's it. Twenty minutes, is all. I can do that. I can manage twenty minutes. No prob- Just WHAT in the hell does that creep think he's DOING?!'

 **'Oh, King. I can definitely tell you _who_ he's thinking of doing later.'**

'You. Shut it. I don't need another peep from you.'

Ichigo took a deep, 'calming' breath- not that it did any good. His hands were balled into fists, and his knuckles were turning white from the force. His shoulders were strained, and he was having rather murderous thoughts (that stupid Hollow was NOT helping, damn it!) towards the boy who was leaning against the counter and flashing a very leering grin at the curvaceous girl behind it. The girl quickly handed him a bag and took his money, before politely getting on to the next customer, who was an old lady with her grandchild.

This was the kind of scene he had been dealing with for half an hour, because he had stopped by the bakery after finishing a few errands he had around the area. Usually, he would only arrive five minutes before the end of her shift, to escort Orihime home. Right now, half of him was glad that he came early, for he was witnessing the efforts of people who thought it was okay to put the moves on her. The other half of him wanted to run each of those pieces of trash through with Zangetsu. The coffee in front of him was only half drunk, and had long since cooled. But, he had no inkling of this, because all of his attention was riveted on the counter.

He was no stranger to the fact that Orihime held great appeal for the male population. Heck, he found himself in rather 'tight' spots on occasion, when it came to her. Long legs, milky calves and thighs, with a tiny waist and flaring hips. A rather generous chest and a long, smooth neck led to an angelic face. Full, plush lips and a button nose, along with wide, expressive, smoky gray eyes. Lush auburn locks, trailing down her back like liquid flames completed "The Goddess of Karakura High". THe girl was a siren, and she had No Freaking CLUE!

And the uniform. Oh, the uniform. It wasn't just the school uniform that was scandalously short. Oh no. Kami forbid his life be that easy. The school uniform was annoying enough. But, her uniform at the bakery had to be just as much of a pain. Half-sleeved white collared shirts, with a deep-pink waistcoat and a pleated brown skirt. White knee-high socks with shoes completed the look. It was actually modest, as far as uniforms went, but the skirts were short, the top hugged her figure, showcasing every curve. The colors complimented her pale complexion, as well as her fiery hair.

(In retrospect, it probably wasn't fair to the male population at that point. This train of thought was quickly squashed by the teen. Tempting uniform or not, each of those perverts had hell to pay for looking at HIS Orihime the wrong way.)

* * *

When Ichigo had first walked in, he had exchanged pleasantries with Orihime, and then made himself comfortable at one of the tables, saying that he would wait for her shift to end. The first couple customers had been ignored, but soon, he realized that the amount of males who were suddenly interested in knowing about all twenty-three varieties of cake, or about the 'exact differences between a latte and a cappuccino' was abnormally high. And it obviously had _nothing_ to do with the girl at the counter.

At one point, he had gotten so frustrated, that he went up to the counter and ordered a cappuccino and a muffin. He made a point of talking familiarly to Orihime, and while she was assembling his order, he death-glared every male in the bakery who showed the slightest chance of being a possible annoyance. The glare, when coupled with his scowl and bright hair had the effect he wanted, and had even convinced a few people that he was a good-for-nothing ruffian and punk. This had worked well for a while, but once the bakery had emptied of those customers and filled by new ones, he realized that his problem had resurfaced. He couldn't really go up to the counter again and again, nor could he create a major scene.

* * *

Suddenly, he had a brainwave. His lips quirked up into a half-smirk, half-smile. As if on cue, the minute hand reached twelve, and Orihime was done with her shift. Gathering her things, she walked over to Ichigo's table, who got up.

"Let's go, Kurosaki-kun!"

Instead of replying, Ichigo leaned down and slanted his lips over the surprised girl's. She reciprocated once she got over the surprise. His hands wound around her torso, pulling her against him. They stayed like that for a while, but soon pulled apart from their deep lip-lock, and Ichigo offered his hand to the visibly blushing redhead.

"Come on. We should be off now."

She nodded, still in a daze, and accepted the proffered hand. His grip was firm, firmer than usual, and Orihime idly wondered if something had happened for her generally stoic boyfriend to be acting slightly oddly. Then, shaking herself out of such weird thoughts, she allowed a grin to bloom on her face as she skipped along beside Ichigo. Who was she to pass up an affectionate Kurosaki Ichigo?

* * *

"Oi, Orihime!"

"Hai, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Can you do me favour and wear this to work every day?"

"A badge? Where did you get this from?"

"I, uh, asked Ishida for help. He was the one who made it, at my request."

"Oh, it does seem like Ishida-kun's work. But, Kurosaki-kun, uh, this badge says 'Property of Kurosaki Ichigo'."

"Exactly."

* * *

 **A.N. I can't really write a huge author's note, so I'm just going to say that I hope you like this one. much thanks for all the support you've given. Reviews, criticism, suggestions are welcome. Thanks for following/favouriting.**

 **Until next time!**

 **OnyxKatana**


	7. Passionate

**Challenge: Passionate Kiss**

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo took a deep breath, as he unclenched his fingers. Inhale, exhale. He was currently on vacation, and was supposed to relax. Instead, he found himself repeating this particular breathing exercise for the fourth time in the past half hour. His palm had tiny red crescents etched into it, from where his nails would dig into it when he clenched his hand into a fist. His already messy hair was mussed up from running his fingers through it repeatedly. His brow was furrowed into a slight scowl, and he was gritting his teeth. No, Ichigo was not 'relaxed' in the least.

He had taken a week-long vacation from everything, and gone to Tokyo to visit his girlfriend, who was studying there. He had planned to unwind in peace, away from his college, away from his part-time job, away from his crazed family, away from everything except Inoue Orihime. It had been a few months since they had last met, because she was settling in and adjusting to everything. They had talked over the phone, but it just wasn't the same as meeting face to face.

Pictures mailed to him did no justice to the blinding smile that Orihime gave him at the train station. Long emails couldn't hold a candle to the crushing hug she tackled him with when they met. Talks over the phone had no hope against the endlessly chattering girl cuddled against him as she told 'Ichi-kun' all about the new recipe she was thinking of, all the while gesticulating animatedly with her hands. If you honestly asked Ichigo, there was nothing in the world that could compare to Orihime's presence.

He was sitting in the living area, stretched out on the couch. There was some documentary on dolphins playing on the television. Atleast, he thought it was about dolphins. Or maybe it was about whales; he wasn't really sure. With the amount of attention he was paying, it could have been a documentary on tropical rainforests and he wouldn't have known. For the past half hour, his attention had been rooted on the figure bustling around the kitchen- in a very cute pink apron, if he may add.

Ah, that apron. It complemented her flaming hair and milky skin. The pink was a pale one, the colour of the blush that dusted her cheeks when they were flushed after a very animated monologue. The ribbon was tied in a bow at her back, and the ends kept fluttering whenever she moved. They just brushed the curve of her- Bad thoughts. Very bad thoughts.

Moving on. The apron really was cute. It was patterned with strawberries, which was a bit of an internal joke, really. Orihime had bought it because it made her feel like Ichigo was with her whenever she baked. And because 'Ichigo' made her creations 'so very much sweeter'. The top part of it was slightly ruffled, and it strained slightly against her generous chest which- Delete. Delete. Delete.

Anyway, Ichigo was distracted, and highly so, by his girlfriend, who was rushing around the kitchen putting the final touches on her "Triple Chocolate Layer Cake with Strawberries". From what his nose told him, that cake was positively drowning in chocolate, if the name didn't make it obvious enough. And he was a major chocolate addict. So, the empty bowls of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate, that were kept aside, waiting to be scraped clean by him, should have been distraction enough, ordinarily. But this was a special case. He was ensnared by the one thing that was even more addictive than chocolate- Inoue Orihime.

He jerked when her voice broke his reverie.

"Um, could you help me with that box on the top shelf?"

"Yeah, I'm coming."

He walked over to where she was standing, and comfortably reached over her head to pluck the small box of 'lustre dust', whatever that was, from the indicated shelf. As he did this, his chest brushed against her back, and he caught a whiff of her hair, which smelt like strawberries and chocolate. Her hair was pulled up in a bun and left her neck exposed. Milky skin which continued to her shoulders and down her arms. She wore a green dress that cinched at her tiny waist and then flared out at her hips to flow down her curves and ended at mid thigh. Her pale, toned legs seemed even longer than they were. Ichigo could almost imagine them on either side of him, as she straddled his waist and- Erase. Backspace. ABORT.

Kurosaki Ichigo was distracted. Because his girlfriend was a tease without meaning to. And the only thing he wanted to do was to kiss the living daylights out of her. He was working on calming down and clearing his mind, when his concentration was broken by a joyful shout of "It's finished!" Orihime carefully placed the cake inside the refrigerator, and then dusted herself off. She turned to the orange-haired man leaning against her counter and gave him a brilliant smile. He pushed himself off it and walked over to her.

"Finally, you remember I exist."

Orihime pouted, as he flicked her nose. "That's not nice."

"And being ignored while you shower all your attention on a cake is?"

"Mou, Ichigo-kun. I wasn't ignoring you!"

She leaned up to peck his cheek. Ichigo placed his arms on either side of her, caging her in against the wall and himself.

"Well, I can think of one way for you to make up for ignoring me."

He leaned down and captured her lips with his own. She quickly reciprocated, just as enthusiastically. It was slow and sweet for a while, before it grew more needy. Her arms were thrown around his neck, and her fingers were tangled in his soft spikes. He had stepped closer, effectively sandwiching her between himself and the wall. Their eyes had drifted closed, and they were lost in each other. It was growing more heated by the minute. She was now pressed flush against him; her curves molding to his angles and planes. One of her hands was gripping his locks, while the other was splayed on his chest. His hands had moved from the wall, one of them at the back of her neck while the other was on her waist, long fingers spreading over her abdomen and back. She arched into his touch, while his lips slowly traced a path down her neck. One of his knees had ended up between hers, and she was all but supporting her weight on him. The apron lay on the ground, having been tugged loose by Ichigo's wandering hands. He opened his eyes to look at Orihime, her face flushed and lips swollen, and her breathing was harsh, as she gazed at him with those orbs of liquid mercury.

To him, she had never looked more beautiful than she did in her current state of disarray. The tender moment was shattered by a voice in his head.

 ** _'Evil thoughts, King. What would our Princess think if she heard you now?'_**

 _'Just go back to wherever you crawled out from.'_

A cackling laugh filled his mind, and Ichigo fought not to grimace.

 ** _'Aw, where would the fun in that be? Come on, King. Grow a spine.'_**

 _'You don't need to be having fun.'_

 ** _'If you're too chicken to do it, let me take over. Our Princess deserves the pleasure.'_**

Ichigo almost growled out loud. Black started creeping over his sclera, while his chocolate irises melted into a burning amber. As soon as he realized this, he quickly shoved Orihime away from himself. He couldn't afford to let her get hurt because he was too distracted by his Hollow. He was fighting to regain complete control of himself, before the Hollow decided to cause more problems.

Orihime watched as his face twisted into a scowl as he fought with his Hollow. She saw his body tremble with the effort, and saw as his eyes changed colour. It was evident that he was fighting an internal battle. His Hollow mask kept flickering, like a very bad hologram.

 _'You're not coming within fifty feet of her if I have anything to do about the matter. And don't you dare even think about doing anything to her. Keep your twisted thoughts to yourself.'_

 _ **'Oh, King. You forget I'm a part of you. Whatever your innermost thoughts are, whatever your core is- amplify that and you get me. So, they aren't my desires; they're yours.'**_

 _'Shut up! Or do I need to beat sense into you?'_

 _ **'Give me a chance. For all you know, she might like me better than you.'**_

That one sentence broke Ichigo's concentration for a nanosecond, and that was all that the Hollow needed. Orihime watched as the mask stopped phasing in and out, and became solid.

"I-Ichigo?"

His mouth twisted into a smirk, as golden irises made contact with smokey grey ones.

 **"The King's not here, Princess."**

Her eyes hardened with resolve for a second, before she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun." She put her hands in front of her in a very familiar triangle shape.

"Koten Zanshun!"

A flash of light zipped past the mask, shattering it. Immediately, she rushed over to the young man whose eyes were now their usual warm chocolate. She pulled him to the couch, and pushed him down on it, while she sat next to him. His eye were still widened, and his breathing was slightly hard. She brushed her thumb over the thin cut on his cheek, from where Tsubaki had grazed him. Quickly calling her powers, she healed it.

"Are you alright?"

Figures. He was the one who just fought with his inner Hollow for control, and he was asking her if she was okay. Typical of him.

"I'm fine. Nothing happened."

He gave her a hesitant smile, but Orihime could plainly see that he was still slightly rattled. She softly kissed him, and responded after a while. But, the moment it began getting heated, he pulled away.

"What happened, Ichigo?"

He shook his head. "I can't risk it, Orihime. I can't let him hurt you."

She smiled softly. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. You won't hurt me."

"You don't know what kind of thoughts he has. I can't risk letting him take over."

"Ichigo, he's a part of you. And no matter what thoughts he may have, I know that there is no part of you that can hurt me."

"But, Orihime- "

"I'll just break your mask again if that happens. Which it won't. So, now stop talking and get back to what we were doing."

Ichigo searched her eyes, but found no trace of anything except determination. His decision made, the only warning Orihime got was a smirk, before he tackled her and captured her lips once again.

* * *

 **A.N. I know. This was late.**

 **In my defense, I was really busy, and then, I just couldn't get an idea for this one. I'm not sure how this came out, so feedback would be welcome. To all those who have reviewed and/or followed/favourited, a great big thank you. I'll try to reply to individual reviews ASAP, when I'm free. I'll try to have the next one up sooner.**

 **OnyxKatana**


	8. Comforting

**Challenge: Comforting Kiss**

* * *

It was finally over. The Thousand Year Blood War had finally ended. Soul Society could finally breathe in peace, now that the onslaught had been dealt with. However, it was not without casualties. The number of Shinigami who had perished was too great. It would take them a long time to recover from the blow, and they would still never fully be the same again. One of the greatest losses was the loss of their Soutaichou, Genryuusai Yamamoto. Unohana-Taichou and Ukitake-Taichou had also met their end because of the same War, that had forced friend and foe to unite against the enemy. It had taken everything they had and then some, to be able to hold their own against Yhwach and his forces. For probably the first and last time, Shinigami, Arrancar, Fullbringer, and even Quincy, had stood together and fought on the same side. And even then, they had just barely pulled through.

The day Soul Society had finally been repaired, there was a party, courtesy of Kyouraku, the new Soutaichou. Everyone had celebrated because they needed to celebrate. They needed to forget everything that had happened, even if just for a short time. It was in the early hours of the night when two orange-haired teenagers finally excused themselves to go back to the Real World. Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime had been among the guests of honour, and among the "Heroes of the Thousand Year Blood War". After what seemed like ages, they had finally said their goodbyes, and raced through the Senkaimon to the Real World. Seeing as it was almost three in the morning, Ichigo had decided to stay the night, or whatever was left of it, at his girlfriend's apartment.

The two orange-heads had finally decided to confess their mutual feelings to each other some time after the War, when it had become so painfully obvious that there was no knowing what the future held. They had come a long way from when they had first broken into Seireitei as a bunch of fifteen year olds. They had matured, both in power and in personality, and had proved it when they fought against Yhwach. If you asked anyone, they would say that they made a great couple. If you asked their friends, they would grumble that it was "about damn time those two quit dancing around each other!"

* * *

As the two teens walked to Orihime's apartment, she noticed that her companion was rather quiet. Initially, she assumed it was because he was tired from the party. However, closer inspection told her that it was not exhaustion which was causing the quietness. It was something else. He seemed 'drained', for lack of a better word.

"Hey."

No response.

"Ichigo-kun. What's wrong?"

He turned to look at her, but his gaze was unfocused. It was almost as if he hadn't properly heard her. Orihime sighed and put her hand on his forearm. Gently pushing him, she directed him to the couch, where she pushed him down. Quickly fetching a glass of water from the nearby counter, she sat down next to him, and handed him the glass. Once he had emptied it, she took it from him, and set it down on the side table.

"What are you thinking about, Kurosaki-kun?"

He shook his head. "Aa, it's nothing. Sorry for worrying you."

Orihime gave him a look that clearly meant she was not about to let the topic slide. "Well, this _nothing_ is obviously bothering you. So, tell me."

Knowing his girlfriend's tenacity, Ichigo knew she would not let up until she had gotten to the bottom of the problem. Wondering when he had become such an open book, he took a deep breath and began speaking.

"I was just thinking about the War. In all the times we've ended up in the middle of some or the other feud, we never faced anything like this. Yhwach was otherworldly, and that is an understatement. This was one of the few times I've actually seen Soul Society panic."

Orihime nodded, but frowned slightly. "I understand that, and I agree with you. However, I don't get where you're going with all this."

Another deep breath. "It's just that- Yhwach was the only person to damage Soul Society to this extent. No other enemy was this powerful, ever. Not even Aizen. You saw it yourself, even he could not take on Yhwach alone. And you know how powerful Aizen was. And what Yhwach said-you were there, you heard him, Hime! I'm just - I know I shouldn't be thinking this because they're our friends and I know they wouldn't do anything like that but I can't help but think-"

As he had been talking, his tone had gotten steadily more and more frantic, and he was almost rushing through his words. His spiritual pressure was flaring dangerously. Orihime interrupted his ranting by placing her hands on both his shoulders and gently squeezing.

"Relax, Kurosaki-kun. Breathe. And then calmly tell me what's worrying you."

Orihime was beginning to worry now. It was unusual to see Ichigo lose his cool, much less get so worked up about something. From the looks of it, he had been thinking about this for a while now. She was determined to get to the bottom of this, one way or another. She looked at him, liquid gray meeting troubled chocolate. His pupils had widened and she could swear that she saw a hint of gold around the edges. Scooting further away from him, she tugged him down so that his head was on her lap. Threading her fingers through his orange spikes, she gently raked her fingertips over his scalp. Continuing her ministrations, she gestured for him to continue.

"Orihime, you've seen all the major enemies of Soul Society. The Quincy were against the Shinigami, and they were slaughtered. Urahara seemed to be dangerous, and he was banished. The Vaizard weren't helped, instead, they had to hide all these years. The Arrancar are mostly dead, and the ones who remain are not exactly welcomed with open arms . Aizen is imprisoned forever, for the simple reason that they cannot execute him. Otherwise, both of us know that he would have been long since gone. Even when Rukia was about to be executed, you know that it would actually have happened if it weren't for us. The Fullbringers, we know how that one turned out. Even now, when Ishida seemed to have deserted us, they deemed him an enemy without a second thought about all the times he's put his life on the line for them! And now after Yhwach said all that about his blood running through my veins, and about my Quincy heritage and Zangetsu and - _just when is it my turn?!"_

He was breathing heavily by the time he finished his rant. He closed his eyes as he tried to calm his breathing. Orihime was silent for a few moments before she spoke, her soft voice cutting through the silence of the night.

"I understand where you're coming from, and your worries aren't unfounded, because we both know Soul Society has a very bad track record. But, Kurosaki-kun is forgetting something very important."

She paused to look down at Ichigo, locking gazes with him. "The Soul Society that did all those things is gone. And it is gone because of _you_. You changed Soul Society beyond just a few people. You showed them a different perspective, and a different way to think. Right now, the people who run Soul Society are our friends and your comrades. And they would never think any less of you for being a descendant of Yhwach. If it weren't for you, Yhwach would never have been defeated."

Ichigo looked calmer now, and the gold had faded from his eyes, the pupils returning to normal. His spiritual pressure had calmed down to its usual warm, rippling presence. However, Orihime could sense that her boyfriend was still not entirely at ease. Her doubts were confirmed with the next words out of his mouth.

"I can actually understand what Aizen meant, Hime. Soul Society isn't afraid of his intentions; they're afraid of his power. I know our friends would never do anything like that, but, what if, one day, it isn't in their hands? What if, one day, Soul Society just decides that my strength is a threat to them, no matter what my intentions may be? What if, one day, they change their minds, because I'm too powerful to be- "

He was cut off by a pair of soft lips slanting over his dry ones. He raised a hand to cup her face, and his flinders slid into her fiery locks. The kiss was gentle and slow. It wasn't meant to turn into anything else; it was a reassurance that she was there. When they finally broke apart, Orihime continued stroking his hair with a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Ichigo-kun shouldn't worry himself about that. I truly believe that the old Soul Society is gone, and this new one will not make the same mistakes again. They know that you have their best interests at heart, and that you would throw yourself into the line of fire to help them. And even if everything goes wrong and they do consider you a threat, you have friends who would do anything for you. Let them protect you. Let _me_ protect you."

If he was the Sword, she was the Shield. And she would be damned if she didn't protect him from whoever dared stand against him.

* * *

 **A.N. Hey! It's been a long time since I updated this, because I was really busy. College has been crazy, and other things just piled up on top of it. Really sorry.**

 **Also, I can't believe I'm saying this so late, but IchiHime is canon! The ending was slightly rushed and vague, but that just gives us all the more scope for fanfics!**

 **Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows. I'm really sorry for the long delay, and I'll try to write quickly now. Any criticism or advice is welcome; I love to hear from you!**

 **OnyxKatana :)**


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